Home advantage

Wednesday

Nov 14, 2012 at 12:01 AM

STOCKTON - With sweeping hand gestures, Stockton's Jodi Nance scans the junior racquetball players walking between the courts inside In-Shape Sport West Lane on Bianchi Road. Her words are spoken with a mix of humility and pride.

Kevin Parrish

STOCKTON - With sweeping hand gestures, Stockton's Jodi Nance scans the junior racquetball players walking between the courts inside In-Shape Sport West Lane on Bianchi Road. Her words are spoken with a mix of humility and pride.

"There's a world champion. And there's a world champion. There's another. And another," she said.

This week, five boys from Stockton and a girl from Manteca, all products of the program nourished by Nance and Dave Ellis, are in Canoga Park for the 2012 World Junior Racquetball Championships.

They are competing at the Spectrum Club in an International Racquetball Federation-sanctioned event.

The expectations are high.

"An all-Stocktonian final. That's what we strive for," said 19-year-old Jose Diaz, who was world champion in under-8 and under-14 competition.

His dream singles matchup in the oldest age group this Saturday would be against good friend, teammate and doubles partner Marco Rojas, also 19.

Rojas and Diaz, both Franklin High graduates and Delta College students, form the elder core of an exceptional group of under-the-radar athletes.

Marco Rojas is the cousin of the other fifth-grader, Antonio Rojas, who is driven to do well by good, old-fashioned sibling rivalry.

"I've always wanted to beat my brother in something," Antonio said, admitting it hasn't happened "yet." He is a student at Port City Academy.

He has represented his age group in national and world competition since he was 4.

The brother Antonio referred to is Mauro Daniel Rojas, who is competing for the under-14 singles title.

"I'm more excited than anyone," he said. "I'm trying to stay calm - and have fun with it." He is a student at Langston Hughes Academy.

Logan Nance, 17, the coach's son, also is in Southern California competing at the Friendship Cup level.

No other region of the United States has so many members on the national team.

How did a club in Stockton become so dominant?

It started in the 1980s when the sports club near West Lane was built - with nine racquetball courts - by In-Shape owners Paul Rothbard and Rob Farrens.

In 1990, Nance entered the picture. She enrolled at Pacific as a graduate student studying physical therapy. Raised in Monterey Bay, she never left Stockton.

"Things just fell into place. This is where I'm supposed to be," said Nance, a 51-year-old instructor at Pacific. "The athleticism of these kids is phenomenal. I enjoy them for the men they've become."

In-Shape Sport has become a second home and the 30 or so competitive racquetball players are like family.

The other key to success has been Ellis, 67, a retired math teacher from Franklin who coaches former junior players who have become pros. His son, John, is a former national champion and professional star who still is active in the sport.

David Ellis also is the USA Adult Team coach. He and Nance form the nucleus of the program that fosters skill on the court and life skills off it.

The older players have gone to college; the younger ones are looking up at their example.

"Racquetball has helped me in different ways," said Marco Rojas, who missed competing in racquetball the last two years because of a knee injury suffered while playing varsity basketball for Franklin. "I'm more outgoing and not so shy."

Another member of the Rojas family, 22-year-old Jose Rojas, has turned professional and is ranked No. 3 in the world.

He tried to put his finger on what makes the local group so special.

"She cared," he said, pointing at Nance. "She taught us everything, the basics and fundamentals. Then she was our travel agent and made sure we got to tournaments. She's just always, always there. She knew exactly what we had to do - and it always worked."

Ellis helped put her impact into perspective.

"She took time every week for this for 20-plus years," he said. "We've probably had 100 national junior titles or more from right here."